


de caelo dimittere

by kazzbrekker (orphan_account)



Category: The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, One Shot, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-01-31 10:14:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21444565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/kazzbrekker
Summary: Christopher. A child kidnapped at birth, and dumped on the steps of the London Institute.Victorian AU!Note: Contains Herongraystairs cos I'm a sucker for it.
Relationships: Jem Carstairs/Tessa Gray/Will Herondale
Comments: 10
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter 1

The gray, drab city of London. The smoke filled the air, restricting, suffocating everything. The average man would have walked past the buildings, his eyes melancholic as he would retreat back into his home.

Christopher got up off the floor. He felt dazed, confused. Why couldn't he remember anything? He turned around and came face to face with a gigantic stone carved building. On the gates were inscribed the words "PULVIS ET UMBRAS SUMUS". The words were not English. He slowly pushed open the gate. 

The air felt suddenly colder. He winced after touching the gate, it was iron. He didn't know how he knew that. He slowly walked towards the door, curious. He seemed to be in what looked like a graveyard? But the air was different, it was not one of death. When Christopher had gotten to the door, he looked through the glass. There seemed to be people in there.

As he raised the knocker, and brought it down again, he was aware of someone's eyes watching him. A girl. She was standing up, and looked almost see-through. 

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice harsh, hostile.

"Christopher." he replied, his voice brittle, quiet.

"Christopher what?"

He remained silent.

"Are you a Shadowhunter? You must be, because you would not be able to enter the Institute gates. What family are you from? Your hair marks you as someone not from this country."

Christopher was silent. Was he a Shadowhunter?

"How would I know? If I was a Shadowhunter, ma'am."

The girl scoffed at his use of the work ma'am. "With the use of that word, you must be American. Look at your hands. The back of your dominant hand marks you as a Shadowhunter. Your dominant hand would have a black Mark on it. Dastardly things, as they look horrible for the skin, like one of those accursed tattoos."

Christopher looked down at his hands. They were pale, and trembling, but had nothing resembling a tattoo.

The door burst open. A man, with tousled black hair, and piercing blue eyes stared at him. Christopher could almost see the cogs in his brain turning in confusion, trying to work out who this scrawny child was, and what he was doing outside his door.

The girl spoke to the man at once. "His name is Christopher. I think he's a Shadowhunter, although, he seems to suffer from memory loss." 

The man spoke softly, calmly, in dulcet tones, "Thank you, Jessie."

"He seems to be around the same age as James."

"Young man. Accompany me inside." Christopher gripped the man's waistcoat, and allowed himself to be led inside the building.

"Is the girl outside going to be okay? It's cold outside. Why doesn't she come in?" Christopher said quietly, softly.

"Jessamine is a ghost, Christopher. She is allowed to appear wherever she wishes inside the Institute. On top of that, she cannot feel the cold." The man stopped walking. "I am William Herondale, the Head of the London Institute." He turned to Christopher, and held out his hand for him to shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Christopher."

Just then, he saw a young boy, and 2 girls descend from the stairs. The boy looked exactly like Mr Herondale, with black curly hair, but his eyes were an otherworldly shade of gold. The girl had brown hair, and her eyes were piercing blue, just like Mr Herondale's. The other girl was shorter, with grey eyes and black hair.

"James, Lucie, Mina, say hello to Christopher. He'll be staying here for a while, just until we figure out what to do with him." Mr Herondale said.

James walked forward and took Christopher's hand, shaking it warmly. "Hello Christopher."

Lucie and Mina both curtsied. Christopher smiled a little.

"James, please go get Mr Fell. He should be with your mother." Mr Herondale said to James, softly, in calm tones.

Moments later, the aforementioned man, Mr Fell arrived. Christopher couldn't stop staring at him. His skin was green, and he had horns. 

"What is it? What now, William? Who is the boy? Why does he keep staring?" Mr Fell grumbled.

"He was found, outside the Institute. He must be a Shadowhunter. The only problem is, we do not know which family he's from. And he seems to have lost his memory. I was hoping you could help, Ragnor."

Mr Herondale crouched down, to Christopher's eye level. "Mr Fell here is a warlock. It explains the skin and the horns. He will perform magic and try and help you regain your memory."

"William. You speak of magic like it is a trick. It is not something to be taken lightly." Mr Fell groaned.

Mr Herondale smiled. "Christopher. Move forward a little, please." As Ragnor held out his hands in front of him, a white light erupted from them, forming tendrils that touched Christopher's temples. Christopher gasped loudly.

"As I thought," Ragnor muttered. "William, I have a theory, but I require a pinprick of blood from both of you. You because your Shadowhunter blood is undiluted, I need to compare it to Christopher's."

Ragnor handed Mr Herondale a small knife, to cut his hand gently. As Ragnor collected the blood in one vial, Mr Herondale handed Christopher the knife.

Sensing Christopher's apprehension, Mr Herondale said quietly, "Cut the tip of your finger with the knife. Mr Fell does not need that much blood."

As Christopher slowly dragged the knife over his finger, blood spurted out. Suddenly Christopher fell to his knees.

"Christopher!" Mr Herondale's shout rang through the Institute.

He felt so weak, sinking into unconsciousness.

He could hear Mr Fell's voice, "his blood has a half perfect match to yours, William."

"Only half?"

"The other half is Faerie. But even that half is split into Seelie and Unseelie. Which is very unusual. And William?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any ancestors that were Faerie?"

"Not to my knowledge, no."

"Then this child is not of your branch, some sort of cousin. And in his memories, I found something noteworthy."

"What is it?"

"The child grew up in Faerie. His mind had adjusted to the fluctuation of time there. It would make sense that he would forget his childhood. It seems he was developed to be the perfect weapon. Something to destroy all Shadowhunters, and to spread the rule of the Faerie courts."

"Then it is lucky he is here. Raziel is with us indeed."

##

"Christopher! Christopher, wake up!"

Christopher opened his eyes. He met gray, blue, and golden eyes. Lucie, Mina and James were crouching over him. He visibly shook.

"Ah, good, you're awake." said a voice. A woman was next to him, sponging his forehead with a cloth.

"Will he be alright, Mum?" Mina said, worried.

"Of course. He's a Shadowhunter, isn't he? Nothing a few _iratzes_ can't fix." She turned to look at Christopher. "I am Mrs Tessa Gray. I'm a warlock, and the wife of William Herondale and Jem Carstairs. It is a pleasure to meet you, Christopher." She smiled softly.

"James, dear. Can you get out your stele? We have to try placing a Mark on Christopher. I would say to start with Strength, first. If that works, we will try Voyance."

James obliged, getting out his stele. "Where would you like Strength?" he said, looking up into Christopher's eyes.

Noting Christopher's visible look of confusion, Tessa suggested to James to place it on his left arm. As James meticulously etched the Mark onto Christopher's skin, Christopher felt a stab of pain in his hand. Suddenly, the room filled with a bright light. After it had subsided, Christopher felt stronger, healthier. James sat down, smiling.

"Looks like when a Mark is placed on you, you glow." he said, laughing.

Christopher touched the Mark gingerly. It started to glow, and Christopher felt better immediately.

A man walked in, holding Mr Herondale's hand, his hair dark brown. His eyes glittered with amusement, and happiness, as he laughed at a joke Mr Herondale had told. A jade cane was in his hands, made out of quartz.

"I am Jem Carstairs. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kit." Jem smiled, his smile warm and pure.

##

After dinner, Mina, James, Lucie and Christopher sat on the stairs.

"I feel like Christopher needs a nickname. It'll help him fit with everyone else here." Lucie said.

"How about we call you Kit? After those kittens that seemed to follow you, when you arrived at the Institute." Mina replied.

"Kit Herondale. I think that's fitting." said Will, who had descended down the steps.

Kit smiled. He felt like he fit in, properly now, with the Carstairs-Herondale family.


	2. Chapter 2

"Kit. Kit. Get up. Come on." said James, shaking him by the shoulders. "Mum, Dad, and Papa want us all awake, and down in the hall, in 5 minutes. They have something to announce."

Kit quickly awoke, throwing off his covers, and scrambled to get ready and presentable. His sleek, black jacket lay on the side of his bed, neatly placed; it must have been ironed and washed by Papa, or Mum. A cane, made out of _adamas_ and created to look like Jem's, lay next to it. Kit had an idea at what his parents would announce. Some sort of formal event. He yawned at the thought. These formal events always resulted in some sort of disaster. Matthew Fairchild, his brother's _parabatai_, always tried to rope him into talking to people at these events. Kit was having none of it. He'd stay for the first hour, then sneak off to his room, to read, or do something that wasn't mindless interaction with boring Shadowhunters.

Throwing his jacket on, and holding his cane in his right hand, he rushed down the stairs, almost bumping into Cyril Tanner, the chauffeur. 

"Sorry, sir. Didn't see you there." Cyril said, in a quiet, soft voice. 

"Don't worry. It's fine Cyril." Kit replied. Kit hurried on, into the hall. He burst into the hall. 

"Good morning Kit." Will said. "Anyway, as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted by my own offspring," he paused to look at Kit, smiling, then carried on, "We've been asked by the Clave to host a party. The Consul Fairchild, who knows how much I adore parties, has asked for us to host, because, apparently, we "keep to ourselves too much". Your Aunt Charlotte wants to set an example, and show the other, more prejudiced members of the Clave how well we're doing. We've invited most of the Conclave in England, and I think some Shadowhunters from the Americas are arriving too."

James tossed Kit a scone, which Kit caught deftly. As Kit started eating the scone, he started to say, "Is this required-"

Jem swiftly cut Kit off, saying, "Don't talk with your mouth full, Kit. It's bad manners." He smiled softly. 

Kit swallowed, then began talking again. "Do we need to be there? All of us?" Kit looked around at his siblings. Mina was fiddling with her corset. Lucie was scribbling something down, in her notebook. Kit had tried to take a look at it, but Lucie had shooed him away, saying that she wasn't finished yet. Out of all of them, James looked the most uncomfortable. James had told Kit about his powers. That he could turn into shadows. He had been distressed, scared, that Kit would hate him for it. Kit had been surprised, but had taken it well. James had trained Kit meticulously, with no complaints, no grievances. Kit had struggled at first, but had leaned into the Shadowhunter life. It was almost like second nature to him. The least Kit could do to pay him back, was to be kind to him. After all, Kit and James were in similar boats, one with faerie parentage, and one with demonic blood. 

Kit patted James' hand. "It'll be okay." he mouthed. James swallowed. He met Kit's blue eyes, and nodded, slightly. 

Will paced around the room. "You'll all have to be there. It'll be good to know Shadowhunters your age. They will be the people you'll be working with."

"Father. Will the Blackthorns be there?" James said, softly. Kit thought he detected a hint of fear in his voice. 

"Yes. At least, they were invited. Uncle Gabriel said that Tatiana adopted 2 children. One was a Cartwright. The other, some sort of distant cousin from the husband's side." Will said.

At this, James blanched. Will, not noticing, carried on. "We'll need to keep this place tidy and clean, if we want guests to marvel and wonder at how beautiful it is." Will checked his watch. "We may as well get ready."

###

"Jamie. You simply must change that waistcoat. Lest you appear in public with some sort of grudge against the people." Matthew sighed. James was hopeless when picking out fashion. "And Kit, please shine those shoes. As much as it is nice to display your prowess at hunting the demons of the night, you should not be tracking demon ichor at a party. The other Shadowhunters may find it an insult to their egos." 

_God,_ Matthew thought,_ were all Herondales this bad at fashion?_

Kit grumbled. This was exactly the reason why he hated stupid events like this. All he wanted to do, was be away from people. He shared a look with James, who smiled weakly at him. As much as he wanted to leave the event, he needed to make sure James was okay. As long as James had his parabatai and his siblings, he would be okay, Kit hoped. He changed his shoes, and left the room. Mina and Lucie were standing outside, Lucie still scribbling furiously into her notebook. Mina was humming something. 

"Lu. What are you writing about?" Kit said to her. 

"If you must know, dear brother, I'm writing to Cordelia Carstairs. My _parabatai_. She travels a lot, so I'm writing a novel for her. It's called the Beautiful Cordelia." Lucie said, hastily, as she continued writing. 

"What's it about?" Kit replied.

"An adventure. She fights demons." Lucie uttered, as she put her pen to her lips, in a thinking pose. It was almost comical to Kit. 

"Min? What are you humming?"

"Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik." Jem said, walking up the stairs. "I'll teach it to you, Mina, on violin, later. And Kit."

"Yes, Papa?"

"We need everyone downstairs. Can you gather everyone? We need to look like good hosts, and all need to be present."

###

As guests began pouring into the Institute, Kit's frustration and anxiety only felt worse. There were Shadowhunters from all different regions of the UK. Many looked at Kit with some confusion, and rightly so, for Kit's adoption by Will, Tessa and Jem was not known to many. Most people would know that the children at the Institute would have black hair, so Kit stood out. 

Feeling a little sick, Kit started to make his way over towards an exit, but locked eyes with a boy, with grey eyes and curly black hair. Something about the boy made Kit gravitate to him, but then out of the corner of his eye, he saw James, who was being asked to talk to someone. Matthew's arm was around James' shoulder, but James looked faint. 

"James." Kit whispered. "James, are you alright?"

James looked back at him. His golden eyes looked brighter than usual. Kit had thought this might be a sign that he was going to change into a shadow. Glancing at Matthew, who immediately recognised the look, and let go of James, Kit steered James away from the crowds, and sat down with him behind a pillar. 

"What happened?" Kit asked, holding James up.

"I don't know. I feel like my powers are going to manifest again. This would be a bad time, so I am trying to keep it under control. I guess the demonic blood in me detests the idea." James said, softly, whispering. "Why does that boy keep looking at you?"

"What?" Kit turned around, to see the same boy from earlier. "I don't know."

"He's a Blackthorn. Look at the ring. How I am favoured so hardheartedly by the gods tonight!." James said, in a sarcastic tone. "He must be the other one who was adopted. Then Grace might be around somewhere."

Kit couldn't take his eyes off the other boy. There was something about him. Something mystical, something changed, something new.

A white haired girl came up to the boy, and spoke in French, quickly. The girl looked like the stars personified. The boy replied, in smooth, ducile tones.

Feeling James' weight increase, Kit looked at him.

"T-that's Grace Blackthorn." James said, his voice slackening. Sweat became to form on his brow. 

"Hold on. I'll get you out of here." Kit said. "J-Just lie down there."

Signalling to Matthew, Kit beckoned him to come over to where him and James were. 

"What is the matter? Jamie, are you okay?" Matthew said softly, dropping his voice, with great concern for his _parabatai_. 

Kit whispered softly. "His powers, Matthew. We need to get him out of here."

Matthew replied. "Go through the back. Through the Sanctuary. I will stay here, and make sure no-one follows you."

Kit hauled James up, who looked fainter by the minute. Slowly, carefully, he dragged James through the Sanctuary doors, and sat him down on one of the pews.

"Kit?" James called out, his voice a little stronger.

"James. I'm here."

"Go back and enjoy the party. It'll make me happy to know that I have not been a great burden on you, if you return to it. I'll return to my room."

"James. You are not a burden. Our blood does not define us."

###

Once Kit had made sure James was okay, and that he would not become a shadow at once, Kit returned to the party, to find most of the guests had left. 

Tessa came up to him. "Is your brother alright?" she said, with concern. "Matthew mentioned he was not well. Should I call a Silent Brother?"

"Mum, you should go upstairs to see him." Lucie said, arriving amongst the commotion. 

"I will." With that, Tessa left. 

"Kit." Mina called out to him.

Kit turned around, and came face to face with the girl he had seen before.

"This is Grace Blackthorn." Mina said.

Kit tipped his hat to her. She curtsied. 

"I am Kit Herondale. I am charmed to meet you." Kit said, showing proper social etiquette. 

"My cousin was interested in you." Grace said, disdainfully.

"Who is your cousin, ma'am?" Kit replied.

"An American Shadowhunter. Tiberius Nero Blackthorn."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> turns out i got inspiration for this   
so i guess this isnt a one-shot(thanks @izziegrayweather)
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
If you liked it, leave kudos and/or a comment  
It makes me super happy to see people enjoy my writing :D  
message me on tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kitherondaleandminacarstairs

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this :D  
Kudos/ Comment if you liked it  
message me on tumblr @kitherondaleandminacarstairs


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